Humidifying apparatus



Nov. 13, 19511 -s,w. WALL-1N I -2, 57

HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 27, 1946 2 SHEETSSHEET l 'INVENTORSven Werner Nal/in Attorney Patented Nov. 13, 1 951 'HUMIDIFYINGAPPARATUS Sven W. Wallin, Jonkoping, Sweden; assignor to A. B. SvenskaFlaktfabriken, Stockholm,-

Sweden Applicationsep tember 27, 1946, Serial No. 699,67 In Sweden June20, 1945 The present invention relates to a method for humidifying ofair or gas and an apparatus for carrying out the method.

In the process of humidifying of air apparatus are known per se whichconsist of a rotatable disc for receiving. liquid and a fan driving airto be humidified towards the disc. The present invention relates toapparatus of this kind.

The method according to the invention is mainly characterized inrotatingthe disc and thereby bringing the liquid on it to be thrown out in athin film substantially in right angles to the direcion of fiowof theair to be humidified and forcing the air through this film.

The invention is made clear in the accompanying drawings and by way ofthe following decription.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure '1 is a-dia grammatical front view of an apparatus according tothe invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line Il-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a part of Figure 2 on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line IV-IV of Figure 2.

In Figures 1 and 2, I designates an annular member fixed to a shell ortube 2 and two supporting legs 3 and 4 which latter support anelectrical motor 5. A fan-wheel 6 is mounted on the shaft of the motor5, and has an imperforate hub portion 6a surrounded by flange 18 whichextends therefrom. This hub compels the air to flow between the tube 2and theflange I8 in a stream which is annular in cross section. Theshell 2 is provided with two parallel ears 1 (one of them only is shownin Figure l) in which a supporting member or sleeve 8 is swingablyjournalled on a pin la parallel with the motor axis and, seen in thedirection of the flowing air,'situated in front of the fan-wheel 6. Aspindle 9 is journalled in two antifriction bearings 10 and H mounted inthe supporting member 8 which consists of a supporting arm 8a and acentral annular part 8b (see Figure 4). The one end of the spindle 9supports a disc l2 and the other a friction-wheel I3. The central part81) of the supporting member 8 further supports a swingably mounted pinM which is provided with stub shaft (Figure 3) the free end of whichsupports a friction-disc l6 journalled on the stub shaft [5 by means ofan anti-friction bearing ll. The supporting member 8 is positionedrelative to the flange 18 of the fan-wheel 6 in such a way as to locatethe friction-wheels l3 and it inside the 5 Claims. (01 261-80) "flangel8. The flange I 8 is provided with an internal annular track I9 onwhich the frictional wheel 16 rolls'when in operation. By thisarrangement the disc l2 will be driven from the fan- 'wheel 6 throughthe spindle 9 and the frictionwheels i3 and It, and track I9, as soon asthe fan-wheel is put in rotation. Owing to the great difierence indiameter between the track 19 in the flange i8 and the wheel [3, thedisc l2 always will rotate with a greater number of revolutions than thefan-Wheel.

The friction-wheels l3 and is are pressed towards the track H9 in theflange it by the weight of the supporting member 8 and the disc 12,which are pivoted on the spindle la in ears I. If the weight of theparts does not press together the friction surfaces of track 19 andwheels l3 and 16 with sufiicient force, the frictional contact may beincreased by turning wingnut 22 on bolt 23 hired tothe shell- 2 tocompress spring 20 against boss 24 on arm 8a. If the Weight of the partsis too great, the frictional contact may be decreased by locating thespring between the shell 2 and boss 24 to counteract the weight of theparts.

The arm 8a of the supporting member is preferably hollow and supports apipe 25 intended for supplying water or another liquid to the disc. Thepipe 25 is. bent in the manner that it extends to the right hand end ofthe s pmole 5 (Figures 2 and 3), which end is of a special shapefacilitating spreading of the liquid on the disc :2. The water ispreferably supplied to the pipe 26 through a flexible tube 26communicating with a reservoir, not shown in the drawing. That reservoiris preferably in known manner provided with automatic acting regulatingmeans.

The embodiment above described is an example only for carrying out theinvention. The disc I 2 may also be brought to rotate by a separatedrive-motor preferably positioned on a fixed support. The drive-motormay in this case preferably be arranged so that the number ofrevolutions of the disc l2 may be regulated. The regulation of thenumber of revolutions of the disc may also be performed in such a mannerthat the disc is driven by a friction-gear with variable gearing.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. Apparatus for humidifying air comprising a tube, open at both ends, apropelling fan and motor fixedly connected to said tube and having a hubmember thereon, a disc substantially coaxial with and driven by said fanat a velocity greater than that of the fan by means of gearing, acylindrical supporting member for said disc enclosing said gearing andmounted between said disc and the hub member of the fan, saidcylindrical supporting member having an arm pivotally secured to saidtube, and a supply pipe for liquid arranged to pour liquid over said.disc, said fan, supporting member and disc being mounted substantiallycoaxially inside said tube with their axes parallel with the axis of thetube, and said hub member, supporting member and disc being of the sameexternal diameter and together forming a substantially cylindrical bodywhich provides between itself and the internal surface of the tube asubstantially annular space for the air to pass through. 4 p

2. Apparatus as specified in claim 1 wherein said disc is mounted on aspindle journalled in the cylindrical supporting members and, having adriven wheel thereon, and a second wheel is journalled on the supportingmember between the driven wheel and an internal surface of said hubmember, said driven wheel; second wheel and hub comprising the gearing.

3. An apparatus for humidifying air comprising: an open ended tubehaving a propelling fan and motor located therein; said fan having a hubportion and an annular flange surrounding said which space liquid issprayed by the disc transversely of the air stream, and an armyieldingly secured to said tube extending across the annular space andcarrying said sleeve.

4. An apparatus as specified in claim 3 wherein said arm is biased inone direction by an adjustable spring.

I 5. An apparatus for humidifying air comprising: an open ended tubehaving a propelling fan and motor for driving air through the tube, saidfan having a hub portion surrounded by impelling blades and an annularflange extending from and surrounding said hub; an arm yieldinglycarried by said tube; a sleeve carried by said arm in substantiallyaxial alignment with said flange, said sleeve being of substantially thesame diameter as said flange; a shaft journalled in and extending fromsaid sleeve, said shaft carrying a water distributing disc at one endand a driven wheel at its other end; an intermediate wheel engaging saidflange and driven wheel; a shaft pivotally carried in said sleeve andjournalling said intermediate wheel; and means for supplying liquid tosaid disc.

SVEN W. WALLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 758,323 Lindqulst Apr. 26, 19041,730,866 .Sternberg Oct. 8, 1929 2,101,603 Stimson Dec. 7, 1937 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 580,388 Germany July 10, 1933

